With The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom launching next month, Nintendo has released a new trailer that highlights the vast land where Princess Zelda will journey in her first grand adventure.
"From the Central Plateau where Hyrule Castle stands infolded by its castle town to the outermost reaches, you'll encounter new an interesting people in each of its diverse regions," the trailer teases.
The Gerudo Desert should be quite familiar to fans of the franchise as it's a recurring location in The Legend of Zelda series. The scorching desert dunes are frequent to sandstorms. There are also many ruins full of mysteries as well as an oasis.
We also get a glimpse of Jabul Waters, home to some of Hyrule's most scenic waterways. It's also where you'll find the Sea Zora and the River Zora, each residing in their respective villages and arguing over something yet to be revealed. Other locations shown include Eldin Volcano and Faron Wetlands.
As you journey through Hyrule, you'll meet tons of fascinating characters, with problems great and small. You'll be able to keep track of these quests through the Aventure Log. "Helping people with their troubles is a big part of your journey, and wise heroes are often rewarded for their good deeds," the video hints.
To travel quickly around the map, players will be able to utilize Waypoints, fast travel points that are unlocked once you reach that location naturally. Once you learn the "Carrot Echo" — the ability to summon a carrot — you can call upon a horse to help you travel more quickly and reach new areas.
The trailer below highlights other side mechanics, including character customization through outfits and accessories, and "cooking" through smoothie shops that allow you to blend ingredients into drinks that provide special effects upon consumption.
For those unfamiliar, Echoes are the core gameplay concept in The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. When Princess Zelda receives the Tri Rod, she is able to create imitations — or Echoes — of objects that she comes across on her adventure. Once she learns this echo, she can create it whenever she wants. Echoes are used to solve all sorts of puzzles throughout the game, including when traveling the environment and engaging in combat.
In the trailer, we learn of two new powers that Zelda can use with the Tri's help — "Bind" and "Reverse Bond." Bind makes it so that objects follow Zelda's movements while Reverse Bond allows Zelda to follow a creature's movements. Using this power will allow you to uncover hidden paths or find ways to overcome obstacles and solve puzzles.
As rifts threaten to consume the kingdom, even Zelda’s formidable wisdom may not be enough to solve the mystery on its own. With the help of the ethereal creature Tri and the powerful Tri Rod, Zelda gains the power to create echoes – imitations of objects found in the environment. By echoing things from wooden boxes to old beds, Zelda will be able to overcome obstacles and solve puzzles. She can also create echoes to use in her defense when faced with dangerous enemies – and then echo the enemies themselves to fight by her side in later confrontations!
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is set to arrive on Nintendo Switch on September 26th.